As former Vice President Kamala Harris weighs a bid for California governor, many of her influential longtime supporters—who played a key role in her rise to national prominence six years ago—express lukewarm enthusiasm about a potential 2028 presidential run, according to multiple sources who spoke to ABC News.
“I think she’s done at the top of the ticket.” said one donor, who spoke with ABC News on the condition of anonymity.
He continued: “I think the country will not have moved in a progressive direction during that time, it will have become more conservative.”
The donor was among more than 20 members of Harris’ 2019 National Finance Committee whom ABC News interviewed. These donors backed Harris as a junior senator, stood by her during the most crowded Democratic primary in history, and remained unified throughout her 2024 campaign.
However, the support Harris spent years building is now showing deep fractures.
Another donor, Areva Martin, who has known Harris since their college days, noted that Harris has a track record of proving skeptics wrong.
“She’s proven she has staying power. When people think she can’t recover she’s proven her ability to do so,” Martin told ABC News.
Others remained noncommittal, arguing it was too soon to focus on potential presidential candidates.
“I don’t know if I would get involved at this point even if God were running. … I think it’s going to be tough for any Democrat to raise any money. There is little enthusiasm,” Democratic fundraiser Michael Kempner told ABC News.
Nearly every member of Harris’ 2019 National Finance Committee who spoke with ABC News expressed support for her potential gubernatorial bid.
Harris’ aides previously told ABC News that she plans to make a decision by the end of the summer. However, some supporters view a successful 2026 gubernatorial run as a potential obstacle to a 2028 presidential campaign, given the short window between taking office and launching a national campaign.
Bakari Sellers, former co-chair of Harris’ 2020 campaign, weighed in on the decision, stating, “If she wants to run for governor, I don’t think the Katie Porters of the world are formidable. But if she wants to run for president, she has to ask: is the country ready for her? I don’t know the answer to that. … A lot can change in the next three and a half years.”
Others avoided speculating about a 2028 presidential bid, citing the early timing, but expressed confidence in Harris’ chances in a gubernatorial race.
“My opinion and my dedication to her hasn’t changed one iota. I believe she’s one of the most talented, brilliant, kind, empathic people that I have met in all my time in politics,” lawyer Judith Barnett told ABC News.
The longtime Democratic donor, who said she has known Harris for nearly a decade, added, “I would think running for governor—leading the world’s fifth-largest economy—would be a smart move. It’s not my decision … it’s all hers. But I see it as a wonderful step,” Barnett said.
